Spring Break is so close that we can almost taste it, here at UW-Stout. Bring out the shorts and the beach balls, invest in a good pair of sunnies, and . . . is that snow on the ground? Although Spring Break isn’t necessarily living up to its name in the Midwest – and most of us can’t afford a sunny destination get-away – there are plenty of ways that you can make your time off memorable without months of planning and pinching pennies.
1. View Your Hometown With Fresh Eyes.
So maybe you can’t make it to Venice Beach or Bandera, Texas. That doesn’t mean you can’t discover something spectacular in your own backyard! Most of the time, we’re so caught up in our routines that we forget the omnipresence of new and adventurous things all around us. Hop onto Google and do a search for the town of your choice, and see what pops up that you haven’t tried before. Maybe there’s a truly scenic bike trail flying under the radar. Perhaps there are attractions or landmarks you haven’t thought to visit.
2. Randomize Your Road Trip.
Remember that one time that we all got lost in the middle of nowhere? You can bet you will. Although getting lost clearly isn’t the goal, you can certainly make memories that last by pushing your comfort zone a bit. Get a group of friends together and make a game of it. Pull out a good old-fashioned map and pick a random town to explore. Or drive an hour in one direction and explore the place you find yourself in. Along The Way is an app that locates restaurants, bars, or landmarks along your route so you don’t have to wander aimlessly to find them. You never know what cool hideaway you might find.
3. Plan a Day Trip.
You might not be going anywhere too luxurious, but there are still plenty of locations in every state to give you a taste of that vacation fun. Plan an outing to an indoor waterpark with a few of your buddies. Or perhaps a trip to the mall is more your flavor. It doesn’t take an over-populated beach to define your Spring Break.
4. Groupon.
If you’re completely stumped for things to do to make your break exciting, check out budget websites or Groupon. You never know what deals you might strike. Perhaps they’ll have a discounted massage, or a cooking class event. Anything can be made memorable with the right attitude.